U.S. HISTORY

U.S. History

U.S. History

Introduction

The US was determined to implement a foreign policy of containment towards the USSR since the beginning of 1945. The US disagreed to requests Stalin made at the Yalta and Potsdam conference, which served to limit Stalin's power and control over Europe. President Truman became even more concerned after receiving George Kennan's Long Telegram in February 1946. This telegram was sent by the US ambassador in Moscow, reporting on the destructive intentions of the USSR. Truman made his policy clear the next year as he declared that it was America's duty to intervene and help countries in protecting themselves against communist attacks. However, the policy of containment did not prove to be as effective as it was hoped. More failures than successes resulted during the cold war.(Clinton,1998)

Discussion

The first steps the US took in containing communism were unofficial: There were several disagreements reached during the Yalta conference (Feb 1945) and the Potsdam conference (July 17th 1945). These disagreements were ones that concerned Stalin's requests such as Soviet policy in Poland, size of reparations from Germany, and naval bases in the Straits (Dardanelles). These requests were all to increase Soviet influence over Europe, and by disagreeing to these, the US clearly made her point to contain communism. The containment of communism by agreements proved to have been the most effective compared to other methods and policies.

After receiving the Long Telegram, Truman became even the more concerned about containing communism. However, it was not until March of the next year that he made his policy clear. On March 12 Truman made a speech as a response to the UK's request of aid in dealing with the Greek civil war, where communists were taking over the country. In Truman's speech he announced that they would provide military aid to countries under attack by communist forces. After this, the communists in Greece were defeated.

However, the US had not been concerned with Europe all the more until Czechoslovakia fell to communism in March 1948. It failed to identify the spread of communism in Europe, and only after another country's fall was it able to recognize that post-war Europe in poverty was an ideal breeding ground for communism and called on decisions such as the Marshall Aid. The Marshall Aid provided financial loans and grants to European countries to get its industries going and recover from poverty. After the Marshall aid we have seen less frequent victories of communism.

The Berlin Blockade was where the US took firm action towards the containment of communism. Berlin, just as Germany, was divided into four zones where the West occupied one part and the USSR the other. In order to get Western troops out of Berlin, Stalin organized a blockade which lasted from June 1948 to May 1949. Roads in and out of Berlin were blocked and to deliver supplies the West organized an airlift. Hundreds of planes flew in and out, sometimes carrying about 13,000 tons of goods each day, and the number of troops also ...